


A Touch of Venom

by Bluspirit92



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb), Venom (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Origin Story, Secret Identity, Venom MJ, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 05:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1806967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluspirit92/pseuds/Bluspirit92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MJ's got a new job. No, not the one on Broadway, the one with Venom. That's right, SHIELD has recovered the Venom symbiote, and now she's a superhero! Kind of. She still has to prove herself to Spider-man, keep her heroic activities secret from Peter, and defeat Carnage, but she's got it under control. Mostly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Touch of Venom

MJ walked purposefully down the grimy New York City streets, dodging other pedestrians, a wide smile on her face. Today’s audition had gone great! She had gotten an actual Broadway role, and she couldn’t stop smiling. She was absolutely certain that nothing could ruin this day.

Until she saw the sedan with the SHIELD logo on the side. And it had been such a great day too. 

A nondescript blond agent in a black pantsuit stepped out, heels clacking on the sidewalk. MJ had froze as soon as she saw the SHIELD car, but there was still some hope that the woman wasn’t here for her. 

When the agent stopped right in front of MJ and pulled out a shiny gold badge, that hope disappeared completely.

“I’m Agent Davis with-”

“SHIELD, yeah. What do you want?” MJ interrupted, crossing her arms and trying to stare down Agent Davis. 

“To talk,” the agent continued, unfazed, “SHIELD is starting a new project, and we’re looking for those connected to Spider-man to help.” 

“Help with what?” 

“Our new project.” 

MJ sighed. She was getting nowhere. “Well, thanks for the offer, but I’ve got to go,” 

She turned and walked off as fast as she possibly could without looking like she was running. 

Agent Davis followed, and grabbed MJ’s shoulder before she could cross the street. The agent’s grip was like iron. 

“Just come with us and take a look. I’m sure we can change your mind,” she said, turning MJ around and leading her back to the car.

“I’m pretty sure this is kidnapping,” MJ protested, trying to shake the Agent’s hand off her shoulder. 

Then she was unceremoniously shoved into the car, with the door slammed behind her. 

“Hey!” she shouted, pounding on the widow. 

The sedan took a sharp turn and she was thrown to the other side of the car. MJ shook her head and steadied herself. She obviously wasn’t getting out of this, so she should just sit back and enjoy the ride. 

The car pulled to a stop outside a tall glass and steel building, your typical skyscraper. Agent Davis got out of the car and pulled open MJ’s door. She lead MJ through the revolving doors and into a wide lobby, with sunlight streaming through the glass walls. The agent flashed her SHIELD badge at a guard, and he ushered them down a plain gray hall to the elevator. Agent Davis pushed her inside the slate grey metal box and hit the button for the basement. 

The elevator dropped so fast it felt like she was on a rollercoaster. She grabbed for a rail to steady herself, but the elevator walls were all smooth cold metal. MJ could have swore she was tossed around the elevator at least 10 times before it came to a jerking stop. Agent Davis didn't even look ruffled. 

Before she could even pause to look around, the agent grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall. Past closed white doors with keypads and labels like Coragyps Atratus Genome Splicing, or Einstein-Rosen Bridge Development. MJ doesn’t have time to even contemplate all the shady mad science things happening down here before Agent Davis pushed her into a room marked symbiote testing. MJ had had enough late night worry sessions with Peter to know what that means. And she doesn’t like it. 

“What you’ve got in here is really dangerous!” she snapped at Agent Davis before she was shoved into the room. 

"You really think we don’t know that?” the agent replies coolly, locking the lab’s door behind her. 

The lab isn’t how MJ expected it to be. Instead of the usual science equipment there are ropes, high ceilings and raised platforms scattered around the large space. A few yards in front of her are an old scientist with a clipboard and pen, and a mousy assistant. The assistant stood a few feet back from the scientist and gingerly held a stoppered vial with the tips of her fingers. 

Inside was a thick black goo, that was writhing and straining to break out of the vial. 

“Shit, are you bonding that with people? Did you somehow miss all the destruction it caused when it was bonded with Peter?” MJ nearly shouted, startling the assistant and making her almost drop the vial.

“I assure you Ms. Watson, we are perfectly aware of the symbiote’s effects,” Agent Davis answered, a hint of venom in her voice this time. 

“So what do you want to do with it then?” MJ snapped back, not at all reassured. She had seen firsthand the destruction Venom had caused, and the pain it had caused Peter. There was no way she was letting this go.

“Spider-man is being slowly overwhelmed. His enemies are growing stronger, and he can’t fight them on his own. He needs help to combat the growing threats,” Agent Davis began, like it was a sales pitch.

“So thats your plan? Infect some poor guy with Venom and set him loose? Even if he’s trying to help, can’t you see all the ways this can go wrong?” MJ asked, definitely not convinced. “There’s got to be some other way you can make a superhero.”

“This is the quickest and easiest,” Agent Davis replied.

“With the most cleanup in the end.”

“Besides, It isn’t going to be ‘some poor guy’. It’s going to be you,” Agent Davis said, gently pushing MJ towards the assistant. 

The timid girl’s hands shook as she unstoppered the vial and threw it towards MJ. She had kind of seen this coming, but it still wasn’t entirely expected or planned for. Agent Davis took as many steps back as she could while still looking professional. The assistant scurried behind the scientist with the clipboard, who didn’t even move. 

Venom was thick and wet, like paint, or glue. It slowly wrapped around her hand, encasing her fingers in cold black liquid that shone like oil. MJ shook her arm wildly, trying to get it off, but the sludge was firmly attached. She managed to dislodge a few drops, but they just squirmed back over and onto her leg. Her first thought on seeing this was ‘Damn, thats going to ruin those jeans.’ A laugh bubbled out, because of course, when she was being bonded to a murderous alien, she was worrying about her jeans. Priorities. 

Her heart beat at to speed she didn’t know was possible, and adrenaline rushed through her body as the claustrophobia of being smothered set in. 

She held her arm as far away from her body as she could, but in seconds it had reached her shoulder. The viscous oil wrapped around her, and it felt like she was being covered in mud. It tightened around her throat, and she was unsure if she was choking on her own bile or Venom. 

“Not gonna scream. Not gonna scream,” she repeated over and over in her head, taking shallow quick breaths. 

There was only a gaps in the goo now. Then the the symbiote closed over her eyes, taking away that last hole of light.

What felt like an eternity later, MJ’s awakened to the last dregs of adrenaline slowly fading, and her heart resuming its normal beating. Her eyes opened to the gray room, her vision sharper and clearer, every line crisp. She was bent over in a crouch on the floor, and as she stood, she could feel new and stronger muscles stretching.

She held her arms up to look at them. They were coated in black material that looked tight against her skin, but MJ knew that her arms weren’t that thick, muscular, or had that many veins. She looked down at her chest and it looked different. No breasts for one thing. Her chest had thickened to the point where they weren’t even visible. She also had serious abs and a gray spider whose arms stretched across her shoulders. 

When she opened her mouth, it swung open much farther than she thought any jaw could, and was so stuffed with teeth she almost cut her tongue. Her tongue which had to be a foot long stretched out now. 

“What did you do to me?” she tried to snap at Agent Davis, but it came out like a growling hiss. 

MJ spun to stare down the agent, realizing it would look much more intimidating coming from Venom. But she misjudged her spin and almost ended up on the floor. 

Agent Davis chuckled, “We were hoping those connected to Spider-man would have more experience and bond better with the symbiote, but I suppose this would be hard to get used to. Why don’t you try it out?” she pointed over to the raised platforms all over the room. 

MJ gave an annoyed huff at this whole situation, but was certainly interested in trying out her new strength, so she got up and broke into a run, toward the nearest platform. She was much faster than before, and her stride longer. When she was a few Venom steps from the platform, she tensed and leapt into the air, soaring up at least ten feet, and landing smoothly in a crouch on the platform. MJ smiled at how easily this was coming, her long tongue flicking out.

She sprang up suddenly, hitting the next, higher platform in a roll. Agent Davis gave her a small smile 

“Try webs,” she said, muttering something to the scientist and his assistant. They were almost 10 yards away, but she heard the agent like she was standing next to her. “I told you she’d do just fine.”

MJ held up her hand and folded down the two middle fingers, the way she had seen Peter do. Nothing happened. MJ almost bit her lip, before remembering how sharp her teeth were now. She flicked her wrist sharply, and a thick shiny black line shot out of her wrist and stuck onto the ceiling. 

She took a short running start and leaped off the platform, falling for a few seconds, before the web snapped taut. Then she swung through the air, in a perfect arc, until the web snapped back to her wrist and she was falling again. 

Oddly enough, she didn’t feel any fear. Not of the heights or the falling. Just freedom. She wondered how much better this would feel in the open air, and not in an enclosed room, falling between buildings under the blue sky. 

Another flick of the wrist and she was caught again, swinging into the wall, and landing in a crouch on the side, feet stuck to the wall, 15 feet up. MJ’s smile was so wide she was amazed even Venom’s jaw could handle it. She let out a triumphant hiss. 

Agent Davis waved a hand, beckoning her over. MJ jumped off the wall and landed less than a foot in front of Agent Davis, flicking her tongue in the agent’s face to annoy her. 

“You’ve adjusted better than our other candidates, so after two weeks of training, we’ll start sending you out on probationary missions. We’ll hold the symbiote for you,” Agent Davis explained, taking the empty vial from the assistant and holding it out towards MJ. 

“No.”

“Excuse me?” Agent Davis raised an eyebrow. Probably no one had ever denied her like that before.

“You heard me. I’m keeping Venom,” MJ grinned at being able to surprise the agent. 

“Got addicted to the power that quick then?” Davis sneered.

“I’ll save more lives if I have the symbiote on hand when something comes up. Besides, I’m sure I can hurt your operation. I know Spider-man, in case you weren’t aware.” 

Agent Davis narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, clearly debating the decision internally. 

“Fine. After the two weeks of training, you can keep the symbiote. We will be monitoring you much more closely though. any slip ups and you will be replaced,” She relented with a sigh. 

MJ smiled, “I’ll just go now. Thanks for the evil alien!” 

She turned to leave, when Davis grabbed her shoulder to stop her. 

“A few warnings before you go. For everyone’s safety. Don’t wear the symbiote for more than 48 hours, and avoid fires or loud noises.” 

MJ couldn’t resist laughing, which through Venom sounded like a rumble. “Loud noises? that’s it’s weakness? really? What happens if I scream in the suit?” 

“I kill you and devour your corpse.” MJ jolted when a voice that wasn’t the agent’s echoed through her head. She looked over at the agent and scientists, but they didn’t show any reaction. She knew it was crazy, but she was pretty sure Venom was talking to her. She really hoped she wasn’t going insane. 

“Can you do that?” she thought, trying to make it heard, but not sure about how this telepathy type thing worked. This was her first   
telepathic conversation. 

“...No.” the symbiote admitted sullenly. 

MJ allowed herself a little smile at that, and didn’t tell Agent Davis why she had gone silent. 

“You guys are the best. See you tomorrow,” MJ gave a little wave, which probably looked weird coming from Venom, but whatever. If anyone mocked her, she could pummel them. 

 

“There’s been a few venom sightings around the city.”

“Hmm…” MJ didn’t look up from her script. 

She didn’t even really hear what Peter was saying, though you’d think the word Venom would stand out. 

“MJ…” Peter smiled. “There’s a new Venom out there. I want you to stay safe.”

“Yeah, okay. Don’t worry about me,” MJ still didn’t look up. She wasn’t exactly worried about the new Venom. 

“I worry about you all the time,” Peter said, still smiling though.

MJ could agree wholeheartedly with this statement and had years of proof to back it up.

“Right back at you, tiger,” MJ did look up at Peter sitting on the couch above her reading a science textbook. She pressed a gentle kiss to Peter’s cheek. 

She had been planning on telling him about Venom, but after a couple of uses, she had gotten used to the symbiote. In fact, she liked it. It made her feel powerful, and strong. Not like the damsel in distress villains and even sometimes Peter treated her like. She knew Peter well enough to know his reaction to the symbiote would mostly consist of panic, anger and disapproval. That conversation would almost definitely end in a request to give up the symbiote. And by request, she meant order or fight. And MJ really didn’t want to do that. 

“So… The new Venom? What are they doing?” MJ asked, because apparently she had no sense of self preservation. 

“Well, there’s been reports of him stepping in to stop robberies and stuff, but it happens so fast and the witnesses are unreliable at best. Besides, there’s always enough injuries to not know what Venom is trying to do.” Peter explained, tangling his hand in MJ’s fiery hair. 

“So it’s not that bad. You don’t need to worry… You don’t need to get hurt,” she added, quieter. Maybe if he realized Venom was nice now, he wouldn’t be as angry when he found out. 

“Oh, come on, when do I ever worry? When’s the last time I got hurt?” Peter laughed, failing to soothe MJ’s worries. 

“Literally two hours ago,” MJ answers, unimpressed. “I’m gonna go to bed. You need to go stop crime and stuff.” she stood and kissed Peter before heading off to the bedroom. 

When she got there, she closed the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath. She needed to get out, do something. It had been a day since her last Venom appearance, and she craved another one. She walked over to her rickety nightstand, opened the drawer and pulled out a water bottle full of pulsing black fluid. 

“Time to go, buddy.” she whispered to the symbiote, and at her words, it began to push at the cap of the bottle, itching to get out. She opened the bottle and tipped it over her hand. The alien slid out slowly, like gel, not water. It wrapped itself around her hand and began to climb up her arm, this time working faster and feeling like a warm blanket cloaking her, rather than cold water drowning her like the first time. Venom is an aquired taste. As it closes around her face, she gave her a roll and stretched her new muscles. 

Then she pulled open the normally jammed window with ease and slipped out onto the fire escape. She shot off a web into the dark night, knowing it would find its target. She leapt off the building, free falling until the web pulled taut and she flew through the air.   
She did a few swings before settling on top of a roof and crouching there, waiting for her prey. It didn’t take long. Soon there were sirens and police cars speeding down the street. MJ grinned in anticipation and swung off the ledge. The night city blurred beside her as she kept pace with the flashing police cars. 

“Help me keep track of them,” MJ thought to Venom, thinking a second view could help. 

“What, you can’t keep track of the bright flashing red cars?” Venom asked sarcastically, annoyance dripping from its voice. “I’m not your GPS.” 

“Just tell me if you see anything,” MJ replied, Venom was always unhelpful beforehand, but it usually came through in the moment.   
The police cars took a right turn and MJ had to shoot off a new web and change directions before she lost the convoy.

“Turn right,” Venom said a few seconds later, after she had made the turn.

MJ didn’t give it any words, just a strong feeling of annoyance. 

The police cars stopped in a wide circle around a bank, surrounding it. A giant silver robot shaped like a rabbit bounded out of the bank, smashing its columns. It had glowing red eyes and a maniacally laughing woman riding on top.

“Seriously?” MJ asked, even though she was perched on top of a building across from the bank, with no one to hear her. “My first big villain, and it's this crazy lady.” 

She had been hoping for something more exciting, but at least she wouldn’t be out all night. 

“She’s tougher than she looks,” someone said from the shadow of her building. 

MJ spun quick as she could. Spider-man was sitting on the ledge of the building a few feet away. She couldn’t believe she’d missed him. 

MJ recovered quickly. “She looks like a giant easter decoration.” 

“Not that much tougher,” Peter replied and from the movement of his mask MJ could tell he was smiling. 

The giant rabbit had revealed machine guns and was firing them off into the blockade of police cars. 

“Go on,” Peter said, “I want to see what you can do. I’ll break it up if you need me to.” 

MJ smiled excitedly and licked her lips. She shot off a web and jumped from the building. She hit the robot feet first, kicking it hard in the head, and its metal body crumpled easily under Venom’s power. 

The woman on top, wearing a puffy pinafore and blouse was sent flying off the rabbit from MJ’s blow. MJ grabbed on to a panel to keep from falling to the ground and dug her fist into the robot, pulling out a clump of wires. She knew nothing about robotics, but the wires looked important, and Peter gave her a thumbs up, so she assumed she was doing something right. 

The robot began to sputter as its pilot picked herself up off the ground and started shouting insults at MJ.   
MJ stuck her tongue out at the woman. It wasn’t very mature, but what was the point of having a foot long tongue if you weren’t going to use it. 

The woman glared back and pulled a gun from the folds of her skirt. She took aim and managed to fire off a few shots before a police officer tackled her. The bullets struck MJ in the chest, knocking her back and causing the symbiote to ripple. But there was no pain.   
She punched the control panel of the robot a few times, then swung off to the rooftop where Spider-man was waiting. She leaned against the edge of the building, gingerly pulling bronze bullets out of the sticky suit.

“Nice,” Spider-man said, clapping her on the shoulder. 

“Thanks. You gonna arrest me or something?” she asked, not really sure what Peter was going to do. 

“No. Not until you do something really bad. For now you seem to have good intentions, but if you step over that line, I might do more than arrest you,” Peter answered, his voice bright, even with the threatening words. 

“Thanks, I think,” MJ replied unsurely. She flicked away the last bullet.

“See you around, Venom,” Peter called as he swung off into the night.

 

“When I said don’t go out unless SHIELD gives the okay 15 times during training, what did you hear?” Agent Davis snapped, pacing back and forth across her spartan office.

MJ shrugged unsurely. “Go out on patrol whenever you want?” she tried. 

Agent Davis’s frown deepened. “Obviously I was wrong about you. I gave you explicit directions, but you still managed to screw up. I need the symbiote back,” 

“No,” MJ said, and stood from the chair. 

She loved the feeling that the symbiote gave her, and knew it wouldn’t make her go crazy. Sure, it was annoying and unhelpful, but she couldn’t give it up. She knew she was getting addicted, but she didn’t care, and something, at the back of her mind was scared by that. She ignored that part of her mind. 

“Then we’ll have to take it from you. Your choice,” Agent Davis wasn’t stupid, so her frosty calm was probably an act. She had to know the damage Venom could do, even with an army of SHIELD agents in the building. 

“Come and get it,” MJ said, and her calm wasn’t a front. She was certain she could handle any agent SHIELD chose to throw at her. 

Agent Davis gave MJ a cold smile and leaned over to tap a key on her computer. 

MJ knew what was coming and moved fast. She reached into her purse and pulled out Venom’s bottle. She heard the sound of boots and guns outside the door. She didn’t even need to take off the cap. The symbiote bubbled out and wrapped its way up her forearm just as the office door came crashing in. 

She shot off a web as soon as she saw the first gun muzzle through the smoke. It hit the gun and she yanked her arm back, pulling the gun with it. The soldier barely even paused, just dashed in and swung a fist at her.

Venom had worked its way around her neck now and up around her face, protecting her eyes from the stinging tear gas pouring in through the door. She blocked is punch with one arm, then used the other to shove the soldier through the wall.

Agent Davis stood behind MJ, a gun trained on her unprotected back. The agent fired off three shots, before ducking behind the desk. MJ whirled, and deflected the bullets with her Venom encased arm and turned back to the soldiers, leaving Agent Davis behind the desk. she charged the next five agents, toppling them. As they struggled to stand again, she knocked them out with a hard swing of the barrel of the first soldiers gun.

“Mine,” MJ growled, pointing at the symbiote that covered face. 

She leapt over the rest of the soldiers gathered in the hall and dodged their bullets as she ran out of the base as fast as she possibly could.

 

In an alley outside, she pulled the symbiote off of her and stuffed it into the water bottle. When she turned to leave the alley though, she spotted a young boy standing at the end, eyes wide. 

“Woah,” He gasped. 

MJ froze and just stared at the kid, willing him to leave. He didn’t. Why couldn’t Venom give some kind of mind control?

“So who are you?” the kid asked, “She-Venom?”

“Uh, no,” MJ replied. She hadn’t really thought about a name. she didn’t see why it had to be different than Venom.   
“  
Lady Venom?”

She shook her head. 

“Venom girl?”

“No,” she said as she brushed past him and out of the alley. “just Venom, kid.”

 

“The third body in two weeks has been found. These serial killings are all attributed to ‘Carnage’ named after the word the killer leaves in his victim’s blood at the scene of each crime. Police have reassured New Yorkers that they are safe and the detectives have leads, but so far there have been no arrests.” 

Peter turned the TV off with a sigh. 

“No progress on Carnage?” MJ guessed. 

“Yeah,” he said with a frown. MJ snuggled up against him. 

“Going to try again tonight?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” He said absently. Now MJ was a little worried.

“You okay?” 

“Yeah,” He answered emotionlessly, not looking away from the blank TV.

“You going to say anything besides yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Very funny, wise guy,” MJ smiled and punched his arm lightly, hoping for a smile. She got one. it was forced and a little fake, but it was there. 

“I should probably get out there,” Peter said half-heartedly. He stood and stretched lazily. MJ rose after him and kissed his cheek. 

“Good luck.”

“Yeah,” Peter answered as he shuffled out of the room. 

MJ stared after him, unsure whether the ‘yeah’ was a joke or if he was really that tired. She hoped that doing some hero-y stuff would cheer him up. She knew it worked for her.

She stood there for a few minutes until she heard the window closing. Then she pulled the Venom bottle out of her purse and slipped into the reassuring warmth of the symbiote. 

“Welcome back,” Venom greeted her as the alien closed around her face.

“Keep an eye out for SHIELD tonight.”

“They’re still pissed? Can’t imagine why.”

MJ sighed and leapt out the window, too preoccupied with Peter, SHIELD and Carnage to deal with Venom’s snark. 

The night was mostly silent. A few robberies, some drug deals, a few close calls with SHIELD, and a Spider-man sighting. Oh, and a Carnage murder. 

She had been sitting on top of a smallish building, when she had seen a red figure slip through the dark streets. She had assumed it was Spider-man, and she was bored, so she followed the figure. It didn’t take long to notice the long teeth and oily symbiote. At that point she was fairly sure that the red thing wasn’t Spider-man. And she was a little embarrassed she had thought the hulking monster was Peter. Oops. 

“That’s Carnage,” Venom offered helpfully.

“I knew that.”

“No you didn’t. I can hear your thoughts, remember.”

“How do you know it’s him?” MJ asked, which she realized after she asked was kind of a stupid question, because honestly, how many giant red aliens were wandering around New York? Besides the usual few. But Venom’s answer wasn't the expected insult. 

“He’s my son.”

“What?” MJ actually shouted, before realizing she sounded like an idiot, shouting at air. The thing looked like a red venom. She really should have realized that connection earlier.   
During her little side conversation with Venom, Carnage had disappeared. 

“Shit,” MJ muttered, and got a rush of agreement from Venom. Carnage was super dangerous, probably going to murder someone, and she had just let him go. This was really bad. Even with her Venom enhanced eyesight, she couldn’t see anyone. But she could hear the screaming. 

As soon as it hit her ears, she snapped into action. She jumped from the rooftop, in a crouch, and landed cleanly. She started running, not even standing first, feet and hands hitting the ground at an even pace. The building were the screams were coming from was big and brown, low to the ground, with a thick metal door. The screaming hadn’t faded or decreased in volume.

MJ slammed her shoulder into the door, but it was locked and barely even bent, even with all her strength. She tried kicking it in, but that didn’t work either. 

“Lets try a different approach,” Venom said, now completely determined and helpful. The alien projected the window into her mind, along with a mental slap for not doing that first. The window mistake could have cost the victim their life. 

MJ dashed over to the frosted window and threw her whole body through it, not caring about injury. She hit the ground shoulder first and transitioned into a smooth roll. When she looked up and scanned the room, her heart stopped. She was too late.  
The young woman was looked like she had been ripped open from the inside out. The floor was stained with more red blood then MJ ever thought could fit inside a person. There were clawed feet and handprints around her, like Carnage had been admiring his kill from all angles. 

Guts of various types were strewn about, some yards away from the body. MJ couldn’t identify even half of them. She could feel Venom tightening around her neck, not enough to cut off her breathing, but enough to stifle her gag reflex. And the cry working its way up her throat. 

MJ took a few tentative steps forward, without even noticing, drawn to the body by a morbid and dark fascination. The woman’s blond hair was spread like a halo around her pale face and was the least bloodstained part of her. 

A word was scrawled in blood above her head in a surprisingly calligraphic font, curling like a banner. Carnage. MJ stood there for an uncountable amount of time, transfixed by the grisly scene in front of her. 

After what felt like a silent eternity, she was pushed forward into the puddles of lukewarm blood. She tried to pushed herself up, but the blood made her hands slip and there was a heavy weight pressed between her shoulder blades. Venom helped her push down the disgust and panic of the blood now dripping down her face. 

“Admiring my work?” a voice lilted from above her and the weight on her shoulders shifted. 

MJ snapped and snarled at the dripping red hand that had begun stroking her cheek. 

“Never,” she growled back.

The body pressed to her back lifted slightly in shock, as though the creature couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t like his masterpiece. 

“Why not?” he asked, his voice high and curious, like a child wondering what they’ve done wrong. 

“It’s terrible,” MJ snapped back and pulled her legs forward a bit, preparing to jump. 

“What, you don’t like it?” the thing asked, obviously offended. “You’re the one who taught me.”

MJ put those words aside for a later argument with Venom, and jumped up with as much force as possible. 

She managed to knock the distracted Carnage back a few feet and make a break for the window. She dodged around the red creature and sprang for the window. She was snatched back from escape by a clawed red hand wrapping around her waist. 

With a grunt, MJ elbowed Carnage in the stomach and threw him towards the window. He didn’t go nearly as far a regular humans would, but it was close enough. She shot off a web, pinning his arm to the remaining pieces of window. 

It took less than five seconds for Carnage to break free. He let out a terrifying roar, a rasping high sound that shook MJ to her bones.   
She shot a web from each hand to the ceiling and took a step back to pull them taut. She tensed and prepared to jump, in case Carnage charged her. He did. 

She took a deep breath as everything slowed down, Carnage’s hands and feet pounding against the ground, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. She tightened her grip on the webs and waited till the very last minute.   
When Carnage was a less than a foot away, when she could smell the woman’s blood on him, when she could feel his red sludge skin hitting her, then she jumped. 

MJ pulled up her legs up to her chest, and could feel her toes graze the top Carnage’s head. He turned in confusion, and she twisted in midair, turning her body to shoot off as many webs as she could. She landed in a crouch, her back to Carnage, but she could hear his angry roars. He was encased in black webs, his red skin shining through the cracks as her pulled against the rubbery symbiote.   
MJ grinned and stood there for a moment, hand on her hip, admiring her handiwork. 

“Did I teach you how to beat me?” MJ couldn’t resist asking, if only to let Venom know that she hadn’t forgotten about that little bit of information. 

Carnage let out another bone rattling roar and pulled at the webs even harder. 

“Didn’t think so,” MJ nodded smugly. 

She wasn’t really sure what to do now. She didn’t have a phone or anything to call the cops, but as stuck as Carnage looked, she couldn't just leave him here. 

She decided to bask in the glory of beating that monster for a few more seconds. The wonderfully confident and smug mood was ruined by a hand on her shoulder and the words 

 

“God, you’re such an idiot!”   
MJ was yanked backwards a few feet. There was an annoyed sigh.

“What were you going to do now? Just stare at him like an idiot for a few hours?” Spider-man asked, with a wave of his arm at Carnage. 

“I was thinking more like amazing and victorious hero, but yeah, that about sums it up,” MJ snapped back, pissed that her mood has to be ruined by Spider-man’s stupid hero complex. 

Spider-man gave another exasperated sigh, like he had to deal with stupid inexperienced hero wannabes every day. He grabbed MJ’s arm and pulled her towards the shattered door. 

“The police are coming and you don’t want to be arrested too,” He said, and she had to admit, that made a lot of sense, but Carnage’s screaming really wasn’t helping her sanity, and the fact that her webs trapping the creature were tearing certainly wasn’t good.   
She managed to take one look at the raging red thing before turning her back to shield herself and Spider-man.

Her own webs splattered against her suit and were absorbed back in by the symbiote. 

“Out!” she shouted at the same time as Spider-man. 

They almost tripped over each other in the rush to the door, window, anything. 

 

MJ leaped out the window, Venom protecting her from the sharp glass fragments. She was about to run off, but gave a quick glance back at Carnage to make sure Peter was okay. 

He wasn’t. There were tears in his suit, and she couldn’t tell if they were from Carnage’s claws or the shattered glass. He was gripped tight in Carnage’s claws, arms pinned, and body limp. MJ cursed and got ready to fire off a web, when her raised arm was pushed down by Venom. 

“Leave him. He’s keeping Carnage occupied for us. Perfect time to escape,” it said, without a hint of remorse for Peter. 

“Perfect time to attack, you mean,” MJ snapped back and wrenched her arm up to shoot a web before Venom could force her to move. 

“Wow,” Venom said in disbelief as she let out a roar to get Carnage’s attention, “You really are stupider than I thought. I like it.”

MJ ignored the symbiote and licked her fangs in anticipation as Carnage turned and dropped Peter. Peter didn’t move, it made sense he’d be unconscious after Carnage shaking him like a ragdoll. 

“Yeah, idiot, that’s right, why are you bothering with him, when you can get Venom? I feel hurt,” MJ growled, “come to mommy.”

Carnage charged, spit flying, claws out. MJ jumped to the side at the last minute, to the left, towards the building’s door. Carnage couldn’t stop himself and smashed into the windows of the building across the street. As he picked himself up and turned, MJ tore the door off its hinges. 

“Sorry Venom, but this is probably going to hurt,” MJ knew noise hurt the symbiotes, so she just had to hope that Venom could hang on longer than Carnage. 

As Carnage began his second charge, she slammed the metal door into the sidewalk, producing a loud bang that stopped the beast in his tracks. Venom rippled over her skin, but stayed pretty put together. 

She threw the door down again and smiled as Carnage flinched and curled into a ball. She stepped closer, slamming the door into her hand like a cymbal as she went. Both symbiotes screeched and bubbled, and she could feel Venom desperately clinging to its hosts sanity. 

Carnage’s host didn’t have that advantage.

But he still managed to weakly swipe his claws at her. But weak for him is enough to knock the door out of her hands. As she scrambled for it, Carnage pulled itself together, it reached out a clawed hand for her. 

Then Spider-man slammed into it, feet first. Carnage toppled, and he tossed her the door. She started making noise again. Venom was still screeching like a drowning kitten and flying off her in chunks, but she forced Carnage to the ground. 

The symbiote screamed and roared, but eventually it sucumbed and slipped off its host, congealing into a bubbling blood red puddle. Venom, MJ and Spider-man were left standing over a naked man gray haired bearded man and puddle of evil alien. 

“Police are coming,” Peter offered before swaying unsteadily. 

MJ nodded. She had heard the sirens, but she was more worried about Peter’s injuries and what to do with the Carnage symbiote. Her worries about Peter were completely justified when he collapsed. 

MJ caught him and set him down gently on the ground. He wasn’t unconscious, just dizzy from blood loss. Those cuts were deeper than she’d thought. 

She pulled the empty water bottle from where it was buried in the symbiote. Then she bent over and scooped the Carnage puddle into the bottle. She twisted on the cap before the alien could try to force its way out. 

Then she scooped Peter up in a bridal lift and carried him to a nearby rooftop. It was a few more minutes before Peter could sit up and talk. She could see the cuts beginning to heal, but he’d probably have them for another day or two.

“So who are you?” Peter asked when he could talk again.  
MJ flinched, “What, secret identities mean nothing to you?” she waved her hand in front of her face, “If I wanted you to know, I wouldn’t let Venom cover my whole face.”

“No,” Peter laughed, “I get secret identities, I just want to know who I’m dealing with. SHIELD agent, another guy who hates me, government experiment, that sort of thing.”

MJ let out a little sigh of relief. “Uh, none of the above I guess. I got the symbiote from SHIELD, but I’m not an agent, and I left when they decided I was too reckless to keep Venom.”

“I can’t imagine why they’d think that,” Peter muttered sarcastically, “Seriously, taking on Carnage by youself was incredibly stupid. Why’d you do it?”

Because its the right thing to do. Because I’ve seen you do it a thousand times. 

“Because I can take care of myself. Because I don’t need protecting. I can be the one doing the protecting. Because I’m not the damsel in distress, I’m the hero,” MJ snapped with venom and anger she didn’t fully realize she had. 

Those other reasons are true of course, but that’s the real reason. She doesn’t want to be another weakness that villians prey on, another victim to add to Peter’s angst. She wants to be strong. 

Spider-man nodded. “Well you better understand how this with screw up your life. You’ll get hurt, you’ll put those who know you at risk, you’ll have to lie to people you care about-”

“Don’t worry, I’m a pretty good actress,” MJ muttered, and if Peter heard her, he showed no signs of shock at Venom being a woman. She also didn’t miss the irony of Peter giving this talk to her, when she’s witnessed all the stuff he listed happening to him. 

“But it’s definitely worth it, and you’ll also save a lot of people,” Peter finished, “Just don’t let the symbiote control you. Be your own hero.”   
Then he was off, swinging away into the first hints of sunrise. 

MJ smiled. Hero. She liked the sound of that.


End file.
